Keller @ Large: Bill Cosby's Demise As Bad As It Gets
BOSTON (CBS) - It's always bad news when someone you looked up to, in your personal life or in the popular culture, turns out to not be worthy of your admiration and trust.
And the sight of Bill Cosby - "America's dad" from his long-running top-rated TV show, a much-beloved figure from decades as an entertainer and an articulate voice on issues of family values - being perp-walked into a court house for arraignment on rape charges, is especially disturbing.
When the long-festering but never-proven allegations of sexual misconduct against Cosby started to gain momentum about a year ago, fair-minded people wanted to see real evidence before passing judgement. But last July, court records from a ten-year-old civil lawsuit showed Cosby confessing to much of what his victims were claiming.
And the victims kept coming forward, more than 50 of them so far. Fair-minded people may well be more interested in fairness and justice for them now than for Cosby.
So now comes the question of what do those who once admired Cosby, laughed at his jokes and thought of him as a role model, do with their admiration and respect? Sometimes, we can compartmentalize these things. Most people still backed Bill Clinton the effective president even after Clinton the person was exposed as a sexual predator.
But this feels different. Drugging and raping women, then slandering them when they dare complain is about as bad as it gets.
I won't ever see a Cosby show rerun again without racing to turn the channel.
What about you?